


Vignettes from the Esperanza

by AzWrites



Category: Taiyou no Ko Esteban | Les Mystérieuses Cités d'or | The Mysterious Cities of Gold
Genre: Dad!Mendoza, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Just some people living on a ship and adjusting to one another, Tags May Change, eventually, give him some time he doesn't know he's adopting them yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:01:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28427484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzWrites/pseuds/AzWrites
Summary: Five months is a long time to stay on a ship, especially for two children.-Small moments from the Esperanza's journey to the New World, as Esteban, Zia and the sailors learn to live together.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Vignettes from the Esperanza

“Esteban, Zia, follow me!” The navigator turned around and went down the stairs, pushing the children in front of him with a movement of his cape.  
Despite the unforeseen conditions of the discussion with Captain Perez, Mendoza considered himself happy with its outcome. Both children had been allowed to stay on board the ship, after all, and for the time being this was sufficient. Managing to keep them near himself was a added bonus. Both children were too important to leave to their own, and who knew what Gomez would have done if he had wanted to keep his hands on them? No, clearly, Esteban and Zia being left in Mendoza's responsibility was the best outcome.  
Most of the crew, so quickly drawn to the argument, seemed to have gone back to their occupations, and the stares their little group got were merely curious. The children themselves didn't seem too comfortable with the attention. Well, both the sailors and the children would have to get used to this situation soon enough.  
The trio finally arrived on the other side on the deck, and Mendoza opened the door to his cabin. Feeling the children's hesitation, he pressed:  
“Come on in, we don't have all day!”  
Startled, Esteban finally entered the room, followed by Zia. Having closed the door behind him, Mendoza took in the children's curious but insecure faces as they studied the room from the doorstep, huddled together. Wasn't it wonderful how quickly those two got close. Zia seemed really closed off, but maybe Esteban's influence would help her open up. The navigator didn't have any illusion on the chances of that actually happening, given how the young Inca had every reason to distrust Spaniards, but it was still worth a shot.  
Mendoza quickly finished visually inspecting the room he barely had the time to take possession of. At least the cabin was big enough that the three of them could share the space. He made a mental note to request an additional mattress and some more blankets.  
“Well, here you are. This is where you'll both live until we arrive in the New World.”  
“Here?” asked Esteban, surprised. “But... Isn't this someone's cabin?”  
“Yes, it is,” the navigator confirmed while putting his cape on the chair. “You two are small enough, you'll share the bed. I just ask that you don't disturb my belongings.”  
He pulled the map out of the cupboard, making the children move backwards towards the bed, then sit at the desk to study it.  
“Your...? But-”  
“But what, Esteban? The only other cabins are used by Commander Gomez and Captain Perez,” Mendoza explained as he grabbed some instruments from the desk drawer. “The crew sleeps on the deck or below. You can stay here or you can do the same. But with the captain of the guards being such a stickler for the rules, I'd rather have you stay where I can protect the both of you.”  
This caused Zia to make a small scared noise and shift a bit to hide behind the boy. Esteban himself seemed slightly worried at the prospect of meeting Captain Gaspard again so soon. Mendoza figured the matter was settled and began working on the ship's course.  
“Just... make yourselves comfortable and find something to do. Five months is a long time to be on a ship.”  
Focusing on the map and calculations of wind speeds, the navigator only heard the children sit on his- no, their- bed and whisper quietly to each other.

...What kind of activities did children do?

Maybe Pedro or Sancho would have some idea...

* * *

The night had fallen on the ship, prompting Mendoza to light the candle above the desk. After such a tiring day, both children were resting on the bed, seemingly asleep. He himself had to make up for lost time after taking a couple hours off during the day to show them around the ship, and make sure they knew which parts not to touch and where not to go without supervision. For now Zia seemed to be a very calm child, and Esteban didn't appear overtly adventurous, but you could never be too careful. If anything happened to either of the children, the whole search for the cities of gold would be compromised, and all his efforts would be for nothing.  
The quiet of the cabin, only amplified by the scratching of quill, compasses and ruler on parchment, was suddenly broken by Esteban's small voice.  
“Was it true?”  
Well, so much for the children being asleep. Mendoza finished tracing a line before answering.  
“Was what true, Esteban?”  
“Did you take me on board the ship so the sailors wouldn't be afraid?”  
The navigator repressed a sigh and put down his instruments before turning his chair around. This conversation wasn't one to have with his back to the child.  
“It is indeed true that the ship is old, and it hasn't been repaired in a long time. Captain Perez is obviously an incompetent,” he explained calmly. “But most of those sailors are from Barcelona, they've heard the stories about you. Now that Captain Perez knows this, your presence on board is justified in his eyes and those of the crew, and he won't be able to go back on his word and throw you overboard.”  
“Oh,” Esteban said softly, curling up in his blanket. The boy seemed uneasy, as if there was something else on his mind.  
“...You're wondering if that's the whole reason, right?” At this, Esteban's head hid slightly under the blanket. Mendoza felt he was on the right track, and decided to press further.  
“Well, it's as I told you back then, in the monastery. You have some link to the cities of gold, and that's what I'm looking for. It wouldn't have made sense for you to stay in Barcelona, when such a big part of your history is in the New World.”  
“But...” Esteban hesitated. “Do you _really_ think my father will be there?”  
...Did he? The navigator didn't really know anymore. But the child's eyes were expectant, and scared, and hopeful.  
“Look, Esteban,” he begun slowly. “The sea is a big and dangerous place. I've seen oceans break ships bigger than this one. I've seen waves swallow grown men in seconds. Every sailor knows people who died in a shipwreck. But... The sea is also a place of miracles. Ships that are broken sometimes manage to sail back to a port. People thought dead turn up alive miles from where they disappeared. It happens.”  
Esteban was quiet, lost in thoughts.  
“And your father...” Mendoza continued as the boy's head perked up. “I didn't see him for long, but he had this look in his eyes." Images were coming back to the navigator's mind, memories of a a dark night, strong waves, warm hands and steel eyes. "As if the storm and his shattered ship were just a setback. As if he would fight like hell to get out of it and see you again. This was a man who would have done anything to live through the storm. Yes, I truly think it's possible that your father is still alive somewhere.”  
The cabin was quiet again, rocking slightly against the current. Esteban appeared pensive, and his tiredness was beginning to show on his face.  
Mendoza couldn't stop himself from smiling at the boy.  
“Good night, Esteban.”  
A small hum was the only answer, and soon enough Esteban was dozing off.  
The sea outside was still calm, only making the wooden walls of the cabin creak slightly in a familiar way. Every now and then a stronger wave would make the light swing and illuminate the children's sleeping faces. Time to go to work.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently writing the next chapter XD


End file.
